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A43
world
Wednesday, July 24, 2013 www.guardian.co.tt Guardian
MOSCOW---An amnesty for Russia s jailed entre-
preneurs, ordered by President Vladimir Putin, has
begun with 13 people freed so far, the country s
business ombudsman said yesterday.
The amnesty was originally proposed by ombuds-
man Boris Titov last year and signed into law earlier
in July as an attempt to correct failures in Russia s
legal system, which has often seen entrepreneurs
jailed on trumped-up charges.
Titov, who was hired by Putin in 2012 to protect
entrepreneurs rights, has said that more than 13,000
are locked up for economic crimes and has forecast
that thousands should be freed under the amnesty.
"As of today, 13 people have been freed," Titov
said at a press briefing. "The first conclusion is that
the amnesty has started to work."
Titov said that of those 13, eight were freed from
pre-trial detention centres and five from jail. He said
that there had not yet been large numbers of prisoners
released so far because people first need to receive
information about repaying damages.
The amnesty applies to 27 crimes including credit
fraud, fraud in the sphere of entrepreneurial activities
and evading the repaying of debt.
It applies to those who have been convicted once
and agree to repay damages---effectively ruling out
former oil tycoon and a staunch Putin critic Mikhail
Khodorkovsky, who was convicted of fraud in 2005
and again in 2010.
The terms of the amnesty also do not include
embezzlement---with which opposition leader Alexei
Navalny was charged and sentenced for five years.
Some Russian lawmakers, who are not members
of Putin s ruling party, have proposed expanding the
terms of the amnesty to include embezzlement and
a wider definition of fraud---which could include
Navalny if implemented.
Asked whether Navalny could fall under the
amnesty, Titov said that it would be "legally difficult"
for the amnesty to be applied to him, or Khodor-
kovsky.
"No particular individuals are a factor in adopting
this decision (about the amnesty)," said Titov. "Neither
Navalny or Khodorkovsky are an indicator of taking
up this decision. The amnesty is a question of the
system." (Reuters)
Russia's
business
amnesty kicks
off with 13 freed
Protesters burn an effigy of Philippine President Benigno Aquino III during a rally to coincide with his fourth State-of-the-Nation
Address (SONA) before the country's congressmen and senators Monday at the House of Representatives at suburban Quezon
city, northeast of Manila, Philippines. President Aquino III is expected to dwell on the gains of his administration particularly on
the robust economy but the protesters see otherwise especially on the increasing prices of oil and basic services as water and
electricity. AP PHOTO
Mikhail Khodorkovsky
BURNING ISSUES